Havana Buildings & Architecture Guide

The perimeter of Plaza Vieja, originally known as Nueva, was totally constituted in the 18th Century by a collection of houses of great homogeneity and excellence. All them were two-story houses, the first floor, with an arcades portal of later date to the original construction and the upper floor with a loggia with open arches, kind of family box to attend the activities developed at the square.

The façade was complemented generally by a cover of Creole tiles and a small roof with wooden balustrade and to the interior, the central courtyard was located.

This is one of the houses that match this concept with the peculiarity of presenting an elaborated frontage with Baroque garnish and a special double arch without central support in the way of the hallway to the courtyard galleries.

The house was remodeled in the 19th Century. The carved and ornate wood ceilings were replaced by plain covers, the small roof was removed, the wooden rails were replaced by the iron ones and the terrace roof was extended.